Aqueous dispersions of high molecular weight fibrils of amorphous silicates



105 LXAlVilNtK from aqueous systems as set forth in the applications of 2919 996 J D. Teia, Ser. No. 511,132, filed May 25, 1955 (ena titled Preparation of Mineral Fibers) and Ser. No. AQUEOUS DISPERSIONS OF HIGH MOLECULAR 526,779, filed August 5, 1955 (entitled Manufacturing WEIGHT FIBRILS OF AMORPHOUS SILICATES 5 Glass Fibers). This application is a continuationinpart of said applications:-The'aqueoussystemscontaingc'olloi'dalfibriim'linear polysilicate are believed to have usefulness in the protective coating, adhesives, and other arts apart from their i se f qlnessjnpreparing glass fibers. K5" explained in ancestor applications, Ser. Nos. 511,132 and 526,779, molybdena is not in the group of glass forming oxides recommended by glass technologists for glassmaking. Said Ser. No. 526,779 explains that it is sometimes preferable to select glass-forming oxides from the group consisting oLbqr ia, alumina, zirconia, titania, zinc oxide, calcium oxide, barium oxide, arsenic oxide, germania, hafnia, phosphoric oxide, vanadia, antimonia, lead oxide, thoria, berrylia, and tung'strc'oxide. In the glass making technology, the term metal oxide sometimes includes oxides of elements which some chemists would not designate as metals. Although the present invention is concerned with aqueous alkaline silicates, the terminology and classifications have been taken in part from some of the older classical textbooks on glass technology.

The technical subject matter pertinent to the present invention can be better understood by a consideration of sets of data, which are for convenience designated as a series of examples. Because the prior art literature concerning aqueous compositions of compounds of silicon connotes that the larger particles resulting from polymerization in water are consistently of a globular structure, the persuasiveness of the evidence in support of the linear structure of the products of the present invention should be understood even before detailed consideration is given to the methods by which such products are prepared. Colloidal polysilicic acid solutions in water have been studied by 40 light scattering techniques to measure both the turbidity molecular weights and the values of dissymmetry (Z).

Consideration can be given to publications such as Nauman and Debys, J. Phys. Chem. 55, 1-8 (1951), Iler et al., J. Phys. Chem., 57, 932 (1953), and Edsal, J.A.C.S., 75, 5058 (1953).

The values covering the whole range of turbidity molayanti Dharma Teia, Whitestone, N.Y., assignor to Montecatini-Societa Generale per llndustria Mineraria e Chimica, Milan, Italy, a corporation of Italy No Drawing. Application April 26, 1957 Serial No. 655,166

2 Claims. (Cl. 106-74) This invention relates to the preparation of aqueou solutions of polymeric silicates.

Heretofore it has been known that monomeric silicic acid could undergo condensation in aqueous acid to form generally spherical colloidal particles of polysilicic acid. Textbooks such as The Colloidal Chemistry of Silica and Silicates by R. Iler (Cornell V.P., 1955), Physical Chemistry of Silicates by Eitel (U. Chicago Press, 1952) Light-Scattering in Physical Chemistry by Stacey (Butterworth, 1956), Silicic Science by Hauser (Van Nostrand, 1955), and Soluble Silicates by G. G. Vail (Reinhold, 1952), each describe data indicating that acidic and neutral aqueous suspensions of polymeric silica consists of globular siliceous particles. [he sodium silicates, potassium silicates and mixtures thereof are u I r u'etuf prgpegtigs with which silicate chemists are familiar. Although the pH of an aqueous system mig be above 7, and hence a 'a me, an a though sue a system might contain dispersions of insoluble siliceous minerals, such a system would not be an alkaline silicate system, because such term embraces only materials closely related to water glass. Altho the possibility of linear polymerization of alkaline silicates has been recognized it has been believed that only moderate molecular weights were attainable, and that even these colloidal particles were globular instead of linear. Previous workers hav described globular particles of 10,000 molecular weigh in commercial alkaline silicate solutions but the averag molecular weights of such silicate solutions have generally been less than 2000.

In accordance with the present invention aqueous sysmm containing linear polysilicates either having an averecular weights and values of dissymetry are shown in age molecular weight greater than about 5,000 or con- Table 1. It is to be noted that a Value pp h ng taining significant amounts of colloidal particles having 1.1 is necessary to estimate the value of a spherical para molecular weight greater than 20,000 are prepared by ticle as equivalent to approximately 300 Angstroms. the application of the control of the catalysts and poly- Dissymmetry (Z) values of 1.1 are extremely unreliable'in merization conditions effective for achieving such linear terms of the accuracy of the method of determining (Z),

(as distinguished from globular) polymerization. because a value of 1.1 may merely indicate that (Z) is One of the possible theories for explaining the benevery nearly equal to 1.

ficial results of the present invention is that specific dis- TABLE 1 tortion of the linear polysilicate unit favours the linear [Turbidity mol'wmand (Z) values), colloidalsmca] (as distinguished from globular) structure of silicate particles undergoing polymerization. By bringing about the Parade polymerization of silicates in an alkaline aqueous system TurbidimMol-wt-inmilflons diamsterin lue in the presence of appropriate catalysts, linear fibrils of Angstrom polysilicate are formed. Some data relating to asbestos, endellite and other naturally-occurring siliceous materials possessing linearity, can be interpreted consistently with such theory.

, This discovery that aqueous systems containing colloidal fibrils of linear polysilicate can be prepared clarifies the explanation of the methods of preparing glass fibers In most light scattering work, carefully filtered solu- Approximately 1. 1 230 Approximately 1. 300 Approximately 1.

430 Approximately 1.1. 530 Approximately 1.1. 660 Approximately 1.15.

tlons are employed. Such filtration of colloidal silica solutions provides data on particles having molecular weights in the range of approximately 4 million and aparticle size less than 200 A. and a (Z) value equal to l. The data on the 210,000,000 molecular weight, 660 A. diameter particles of colloidal silica were obtained using solutions purified, not by filtration, but by centrifuging techniques.

Both the prior art literature and the experimental work during the development of the present invention confirmed the absence of dissymmetry and the existence of the globular shape of the particles in a colloidal silica solution. Colloidal silica solutions are generally prepared under slightly acidic conditions, but after being prepared may be converted to alkaline aqueous systems containing such globular colloidal particles. In evaluating light scattering data, consideration must be given to the effects of various amounts on ions in the system being investigated.

Polyelectrolytes in ionizing solvents behave diiferently from non-electrolyte system. In tests upon polyacrylic acid, the conversion of the material to a polyelectrolyte resulted in a reduction of the intensity of the 90" light scattering to about 2% of the intensity with the nonionized material. Under some conditions, there can be the anomalous observation of (Z) values less than 1.

Thus the molecular weight determinations of polyelectrolytes by turbidity methods can lead to apparent molecular weight determinations which are smaller than the real value. However, reliable measurements can be made by the turbidity methods in systems of high ionic strength.

The linear polysilicate systems of the present invention provide the high ionic strength necessary, and reliable, consistent data are obtained.

Aqueous solutions of sodium silicate have previously been studied by light scattering methods, as described for example in the previously cited Nauman and Debeye article. -They worked with pure sodium silicates and obtained generally only stoichiometric molecular weights e.g. approximately 76.1 for the ion SiO Only in very dilute solutions of less than 0.05 gm./cc. concentration of aged commercial tetrasilicate Na O:SiO ::l:3.9 they found molecular weights up to 10,000. At higher concentrations above 0.1 mg./cc., silicates more alkaline than Na O; 2.0 SiO have turbidities similar to sucrose. They detected no evidence of polymerization. The more siliceous solutions as stated above in course of aging develop larger particle sizes with molecular weights approaching 10,000. In all these cases studied (Z) values were not expressed because they are almost equal to 1.

Thus, prior art literature shows particles of sodium silicate having a molecular weight as high as 10,000, in alkaline solution having a globular shape. Such prior art findings are to be contrasted with the surprising results obtained by the present invention. Aqueous solutions prepared in accordance with the present invention were studied by light scattering methods, which proved that these solutions contained colloidal silicate particles of very high molecular weight and possessed such high (Z) values as to necessitate the conclusion that the polymeric silicate was linear instead of globular. These data are For a spherical silicate particle in the system Na,O:3.75SiO, a density of 0.43 was estimated (Vail and Will. vol 1, page 100).

The diameter of such a particle of molecular weight 800,000 cannot be more than 530 Angstroms by comparison with colloidal silica particles of density 2.2 and molecular weight x10 and diameter 530 Angstroms. The (Z) value for an aqueous system of such particles should be approximately 1.1 and not greater than 5.2. Such a high value for (Z) can only mean extended molecules linear in nature, especially in view of the evaluation of a polyelectrolyte system of high ionic strength. Using the value of approximately 4 Angstroms for the size of Si(OH) unit in the systems, one obtains correlation with observed (Z) values and hence particle sizes if one theorises a rod particle of a small cross-section containing, on the average, 4 or more silicon tetrahedra linked together in the width and depth directions and hundreds of silicon tetrahedra joined in the length direction.

Accordingly, it is necessary to postulate fibrillar molecules in the polysilicate systems prepared in accordance with present invention.

Alkaline silicate ma nverted tg an aqueous umontaininglineanlq ymericnsilicate b,y partially dehydrating the aqueous system in the p r esen ce of ap appropriateTfitWalSlgc'ataB sfsejected from the group dude, but inc'il'ifiemher metal oxidemrecommended by glass tecii'ri'calogi'sts for las s;r n a lgigg, The polymerization proceeds in part by a chain reaction of hydrogen ion transfer, particularly in the more alkaline aqueous solutions, and is, further, catalyzed by the metal ions, which fit within the linear polymer in such a manner that the polysilicate fibrils partake of the nature of colloidally dispersed glass.

The method of polymerization can be described generally as involving the following steps. The starting solution is an aqueous solution of the silicate of an alkali metal of the group consisting of sodium, potassium, and mixtures thereof in which solution the ratio of oxygencontaining compounds of the alkali metals to the oxygencontaining compounds of silicon is within the range from 1:2 to 1:5. This aqueous solution of alkaline silicate is then modified to prepare a mixture by incorporating catalytic amounts of at least one oxygen-containing comfitiwus sestms tbomntf l fi amt conium, titanium, zinc, calcium barium, arsenic, germ mum, hatniummhosphorus. wra 1 'nTET i y, lead, thorium, beryllium, and tungsten. Heat is applied toms'mrxmrm'cause'warerte'eva orate from the surface thereof so as to concentrate the mixture. During this heating or concentrating step that portion of the body of the mixture closest to where the heat is applied is spaced somewhat from the surface of the mixture at which the evaporation takes place and maintained at a temperature significantly higher than said surface so that a. film of heated mixture will thereby dififuse through the balance of the mixture toward the evaporative surface. The pH of the body of the mixture is maintained above 7 during this heating of the mixture, and the heating is continued until at least 10% of the initial water content of the mixture has been removed and until the solids content of the remaining composition has become at least 40% by weight. At this stage of the process the alkaline silicates in the mixture will have polymerized during the concentration of the aqueous system. This polymerization is predominantly linear by reason mmiytic m enggqagnnrsg modifiers, and consequ'eh'tly pfidominant amounts ainorphous, glass-like, non-crystallipe apnrsare'rsrnid as solids in the aqueous syteiifiind these solid's'have'an average molecular weight as measured by the light scattering methoiof at least 10,000.

There are various specific modifications of this general method for polymerizing silicate, and the relative effectiveness of these various techniques is indicated in Table 3 below.

TABLE 3 Turbidity, (z) Solids content oi aqueous system Treatment mol. wt. dissymmetry NmOBiO, (1:3.4) Refluxing for 12 bra: with stirring; followed by (moo-8,000 1.3

rapid concentration in an open vessel (CO; present with stirring in air) to 45% solids. Na;0.BiO; (1:3.4) Reflfigs 12 hrs; concentrate in vacuum to 45% less than 3,000-.. 1.1

80 Na;O.SiO; (1:3.4): colloidal silica Reflux 12 hrs. with stirring: and heat in open 6,000-8,000 1.35

vessel rapidly with stirring. Concentration to 45% solids. N8:O.Sl0z (123.4): 5% colloidal silica, 3% H1303 18.000-30,000-- 1. 6 N81O.Sl0z (1:314): 5% colloidal silica, 3% HsBOz, 130,000. 3.0

2% A1101, 2% 2x10, 1% MgO. Ntliclogloz (1:3.4): 3% H;BO;, 3% AhOs, 2% do 50,000 1.9

g NaO.SlOz (113.4): 37 H330: 37 A110: 27 do 100000 2.8

MgO, 5%eol1oldal silica.

In the above table the sodium silicate is a 34 B. solution, and the colloidal silica solution is a 30% solution.

The data of Table 3 shows: that the presence of air aids the attainment of higher molecular weights; that the presence of 5% boric acid (solids basis) catalyst can bring about a fivefold increase in the average molecular weight; that a multi-component catalyst helps to attain still higher molecular weights; and that the colloidal silica, although almost without effect by itself, promotes the activity of the multi-component catalyst; and that the higher molecular weight fibrils thus prepared have dissymmetry values establishing the linearity of the silicate molecules.

Although the data from light scattering studies provides the most persuasive evidence that linear polysilicates are formed in accordance with the present invention, a variety of other tests provide convincing confirmation of the result.

The viscosity of a solution of sodium silicates is known to remain constant and independent of the velocity gradient. The aqueous solutions of linear polysilicates of the present invention exhibit an enormous dependence on velocity gradient.

By a method employing velocity gradient dependence, employing various pressures and velocities and observing time of flow through standard capillary, viscometers and calculating back to zero rate of shear, the values of Table 4 were obtained for intrinsic viscosity (N) in standard units.

TABLE 4 Turbidity Intrinsic Sample molecular Viscosity weights The solutions studied under a polarizing microscope forced flow through a capillary exhibited flow birefringence similar to fine sodium bentonite suspensions.

All such data confirm the existence of linear (as distinguished from globular) polysilicate particles in the aqueous systems of the present invention.

Example Several manufacturers market aqueous solutions consisting essentially of water and colloidal silica in a concentration of about 30%. Any of the several brands of such solutions, which are sometimes briefly designated as 30% colloidal solutions, may be employed as the ingredient first used in preparing a paste having a catalytic effectiveness similar to the catalysts described in the fifth and seventh procedures of Table 3. A solution containwere introduced. In this manner 592 g. of a paste of T uniform consistency was prepared containing 108 g. of

colloidal silica, 37 g. boria, 174 g. of aluminar'fl g. of;

zinc oxide (340 g. of solids) and 252 g. of water. In preparing such a paste, the metal oxides such as alumina and zinc oxide are in finely divided form and may be in the anhydrous, partially hydrated, or fully hydrated form inasmuch as the hydrated finely divided silica makes it possible to mix a uniform catalytic paste with any of such starting materials.

In a separate container, there was measured a sodium trisilicate solution which contained 3.22 parts of silica per part of sodium oxide, or about 8.5% sodium oxide, about 27.5% silica, and about 64% water, and a density designated as 38 Be. (1.36 g./ml.). Some commercially available sodium trisilicate solutions corresponded exactly to such specifications, but some samples contained 65% water (35% solids) instead of 64% water, and some samples contained significant amounts of contaminants such as calcium oxide and aluminum oxide. Difficulties with such impurities can be avoided by employing a freshly prepared sample of sodium trisilicate resulting from the dispersion of fresh gelatinous silica in aqueous sodium hydroxide or by dispersing purified granular sodium trisilicate in deionized water.

The sodium trisilicate solution was heated during about 3 hours to evaporate water from the solution, and to increase the solids content from about 35% to above 40%. Thus, 750 g. of such concentrated silicate was prepared. In concentrating the solution, colloidal silicate was formed and dispersed within the concentrated sodium silicate solution.

The 592 g. of paste of boria, alumina, zinc oxide, colloidal silica and water was stirred into 750 g. of said concentrated sodium silicate to form 1342 g. of a composition, which was thoroughly mixed into 1500 g. of a liquid consisting of 900 g. of a 35% solution of a sodium trisilicate (3.22 ratio) and 600 g. of a 17.4% solution of pure sodium metasilicate (1.0 ratio). The 2842 grams of mixture were heated to evaporate sufiicient water to concentrate the solution to a solids content of 40% to prepare a viscous liquid designated as a drawing composition. The mixture remains alkaline, i.e. at a pH above 7, during this concentration thereof. Data relating to this composition are set forth in Table 5.

The viscous liquid resulting from the polymerization of the silicate can be used for any purpose for which aqueous dispersals of linear polysilicate fibril-type colloidal particles are useful such as in the protective coating, adhesive, and/or other industrial arts employing sodium silicate.

It should be noted that the combination of metallic TABLE H 0 N830 BlOi B 0; ZnO L110: Total Colloidal Si 252 s 8 Additives. 87 21 174 232 Concentrated silicate 450 71 2'29 750 Trlsllicate 585 74 241 90 Metasilicate 496 52 52 000 Before concentration- 1, 783 197 630 37 21 174 2. 842 After concentration 1, 197 630 37 21 174 2, 647 Percent wet 7. 4 23. 8 1. 5 0. 8 6. 6

water from an aqueous silicate solution to concentrate it to approximately 40% solids and to form colloidal silicate dispersed therein, said aqueous silicate solution containing the silicate of an alkali metal of the group consisting of sodium, potassium, and mixtures thereof, the ratio of alkali metal oxides in said aqueous silicate solution to the silica therein being within the range from 1:2

anion such as borate with a metallc cat on suc as a uniito 1:5, odifying the concentrated aqueous silicate solumi arm" i'nrliatalyzing the linear poly' tion b corporating therein a catalytic paste prepared merization. The polymerization is brought about by heating one portion of the alkaline silicate solution while evaporating water from a surface thereof.

During such concentration of the solution, the dehydration of the silicate aggregates to form larger aggregates ogcu rs predominantly in a portion of the liquid near the surface of evaporation. This is accomplished by J Tiiaintaining that portion of the body of the liquid at which heat is applied at a distance from and at a significantly higher temperature than the temperature of the surface of water removal, and thus a film of heated liquid can diffuse through the balance of the liquid toward the evaporative surface to form such larger aggregates. Such polymerization occurs linearly instead of globularly because ofthe ca't'alytic' effect of the hydroxyl ions, the sodium ions, the borate ions, the aluminum ions, and particularly the combination of all of the catalytic components.

In the manufacture of glass from fused siliceous systerns, data has been accumulated relating to the relative attractiveness of various metal oxides as components for soda glasses. By a series of tests, it is established that the relative attractiveness of metal oxides as catalysts for linear polysilicates is approximately the same as the order of attractiveness of metal oxides as components for soda glasses. Tht s l orjagnd alumintt (especially combinations thereof) arg superior tg tungstia. In the oxide-containing paste of the present invention, one or more of such various metal oxides, commonly known as glass-forming oxides or hyalogenic compounds, may be employed. The preferred glass-forming oxides are those selected from the group consisting of oxygen-containing compounds of the group consisting of compounds of boron, aluminum, zirconium, titanium, zinc, calcium, lamina insane germanium, hafnium, ih'osphorous, vanadium, antimony, lead, thorium, beryllium, and tungsten.

by adding to an aqueous solution of appr xi colloidal 'lica an amount of boria sufiicient to catalyze the linear polymerization of'said alkaline silicate and thereafter adding to the mixture of colloidal silica and bori alumina and zinc oxide in. approximate amounts of 174 parts A1 0 an parts ZnO to l08'parts SiO applying heat to a body of the mixture of concentrated silicate solution and catalytic paste to evaporate water from the surface thereof, maintaining that portion of the body of said mixture at which heat is appl'ed at a distance from and at a significantly higher temprature than the temperature of the surface of water evaporation to diffuse a film of heated liquid through the balance of the liquid toward the evaporative surfaceto form aggregates of material thereinf'maintaining said mixture at alkaline conditions above 1 during the evaporation of water from the mixture, continuing the heating of said body of mixture until the water evaporated therefrom is at least 10% of the initial water content and until the solids content of the remaining composition is increased to at least 40% by weight, whereby the alkaline silicate molecules polymerize ,under the .in'lluence.of said-"catalytic paste and incorporate the oxygencontaining compounds 'of .'iald"p'ast'e in the polymer to form apredominant Obviously various modifications of the illustrative ex- References Cited in the file Of this Patent 1 ample are possible without departing from the full scope A, of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 0 UNITED STATEF PATENTS I,

The invention claimed is: 2,509,026 White L:; Q.Jf May 23, w

1. The method of polymerizing alkaline silicates in an 2,626,213 Novak '....Z.: l Jan. 20, 1953 a I aqueous system to form an aqueous dispersion of linear- 2,652,325 Novak [fa-1 .1-3 Sept. 15, 1953 l polysilicate fibrils which includes the steps of evaporating 7 5 2 

1. THE METHOD OF POLYMERIZING ALKALINE SILICATES IN AN AQUEOUS SYSTEM TO FORM AN AQUEOUS DISPERSION OF LINEAR POLYSILICATE FIBRILS WHICH INCLUDES THE STEPS OF EVAPORATING WATER FROM AN AQUEOUS SILICATE SOLUTION TO CONCENTRATE IT TO APPROXIMATELY 40% SOLIDS AND TO FORM COLLOIDAL SILICATE DISPERSED THEREIN, SAID AQUEOUS SILICATE SOLUTION CONTAINING THE SILICATE OF AN ALKALI METAL OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM, POTASSIUM, AND MIXTURES THEREOF, THE RATIO OF ALKALI METAL OXIDES IN SAID AQUEOUS SILICATE SOLUTION TO THE SILICA THEREIN BEING WITHIN THE RANGE FROM 1:2 TO 1:5, MODIFYING THE CONCENTRATED AQUEOUS SILICATE SOLUTION BY INCORPORATING THEREIN A CATALYTIC PASTE PREPARED BY ADDING TO AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF APPROXIMATELY 30% COLLODIAL SILICA AN AMOUNT OF BORIA SUFFICIENT TO CATALYZE THE LINEAR POLYMERIZATION OF SAID ALKALINE SILICATE AND THEREAFTER ADDING TO THE MIXTURE OF COLLOIDAL SILICA AND BORIA ALUMINA AND ZINC OXIDE IN APPROXIMATE AMOUNTS OF 174 PARTS AL2O3 AND 21 PARTS ZNO TO 108 PARTS SIO2, APPLYING HEAT TO A BODY OF THE MIXTURE OF CONCENTRATED SILICATE SOLUTION AND CATALYTIC PASTE TO EVAPORATE WATER FROM THE SURFACE THEREOF, MAINTAINING THAT PORTION OF THE BODY OF SAID MIXTURE AT WHICH HEAT IS APPLIED AT A DISTANCE FROM AND AT A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER TEMPERATURE THAN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SURFACE OF WATER EVAPORATION TO DIFUSE A FLIM OF HEATED LIQUID THROUGH THE BALANCE OF THE LIQUID TOWARD THE EVAPORATIVE SURFACE TO FORM AGGREGATES OF MATERIAL THEREIN, MAINTAINING SAID MIXTURE AT ALKALINE CONDITIONS ABOVE PH 7 DURING THE EVAPORATION OF WATER FROM THE MIXTURE, CONTAINING THE HEATING OF SAID BODY OF MIXTURE UNTIL THE WATER EVAPORATED THEREFORM IS AT LEAST 10% OF THE INITIAL WATER CONTENT AND UNTIL THE SOLIDS CONTENT OF THE REMAINING COMPOSITION IS INCREASED TO AT LEAST 40% BY WEIGHT, WHEREBY THE ALKALINE SILICATE MOLECULES POLYMERIZE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF SAID CATALYTIC PASTE AND INCORPORATE THE OXYGEN-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS OF SAID PASTE IN THE POLYMER TO FORM A PREDOMINANT AMOUNT OF AMORPHOUS, GLASS-LIKE, NON-CRYSTALLINE FIBRILS HAVING A MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF AT LEAST 10,000, AND WHEREBY THE SOLIDS IN SAID SYSTEM HAVE AN AVERAGE MOLECULAR WEIGHT AS MEASURED BY THE LIGHT SCATTERING METHOD OF AT LEAST 5,000. 